It's been a few weeks since our last construction photo update of Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship.
Icon of the Seas is being constructed at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and RoyalCaribbeanBlog commissioned a new set of drone photos to share with all of you what the ship looks like.
Since these are exclusive photos, please do not redistribute these photos. Feel free to share a link to this article instead.
These photos were taken earlier today from near the shipyard.
Last time we shared a photo update, we did not know what features Royal Caribbean had planned for the ship as details were still under wraps. Since then, Royal Caribbean has revealed what the ship looks like, as well as many of the notable fun things to do onboard.
One major change you're likely to notice is the addition of the AquaDome to the front of the ship.
The AquaDome will be a new neighborhood on Icon of the Seas that doubles as dining venue and evening theater.
The AquaDome was lifted from its former location behind the ship to its current position at the front of the ship.
You'll also notice the bow of the ship is fully installed, featuring the parabolic bow.
This is a functional design element that creates a curved indentation in the bottom of the vessel’s hull.
Moving to the side of the ship, we can see a good look at the progress being made across the ship.
While none of the water slides are added yet, we can see the support structures for them.
The Royal Caribbean logo is also on the side of the ship, which is where you can try the Crown’s Edge aerial adventure.
It’s part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill ride, and the floor can fall away leaving you dangling high over the ocean.
Let's move to the aft of the ship and see the progress being made on the back half of the ship.
Where the AquaDome was located before, we still see something in its place.
Icon of the Seas is scheduled to be delivered in late 2023 and begin sailing in January 2024.
Icon of the Seas is the first of three Icon Class cruise ships, although more could be ordered. The other two Icon Class ships will be in service by 2026.
